The lawsuit was filed last summer against the Pennsylvania Game Commission by a Lancaster County citizens group, Hunters United for Sunday Hunting. The civil action argued that sections of the gaming and wildlife code are unconstitutional.

But Yvette Kane, judge for the U.S. Middle District of Pennsylvania court, wrote hunting has not been recognized as a constitutionally protected liberty by state or federal law, citing a 1978 Supreme Court opinion.

"I was disappointed from the beginning that the group that brought the lawsuit, instead of coming to Harrisburg and working the issue with the Legislature, they ran to file a lawsuit," Alloway said.

Kathy Davis, director of the group that filed the suit, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The group's Facebook page, which has more than 22,000 likes, said on June 18 that group officials regret Kane's decision.

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"It leaves open the possibility of filing our suit in state court," the Facebook statement reads. "HUSH will make a determination as to the future of the suit after consulting with our lawyer."

It might still be possible to change the state's Sunday hunting ban without legislative action, said Travis Lau, commission press secretary.

"The determination is that it's not unconstitutional," Lau said. "This doesn't necessarily mean that another argument couldn't be made for Sunday hunting."

Pennsylvania hunters are permitted to hunt crows, coyotes and foxes on Sundays, the only exceptions to the state's gaming law that dates back to 1873. The exceptions went into effect for the 1991-92 license year after legislative action, Lau said.

Lifting the ban has come before lawmakers before, most recently in 2011 when a bill to amend Sunday hunting laws was introduced in the House's Game and Fisheries Committee. The proposal never made it to the House floor for a vote.

State Rep. Dan Moul, R-Conewago Township, said he expected the court to dismiss the suit, but took issue with the ruling as it pertained to religion.

"It's amazing how the court systems are so politically correct and religion is being removed from the public aspect, but when it suits their agenda, it is OK to keep a blue law in place," said Moul, who is a member of the House Game and Fisheries Committee.

While Moul said he would like to sit in a tree stand with a gun after church, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau opposes Sunday hunting, and he said he will not vote against his farmers.

The bureau, comprised of more than 58,000 rural and farming families, strongly opposes any expansion to Sunday hunting, said Mark O'Neill, communications director for the group.

When the bureau's legal counsel reviewed the lawsuit, O'Neill said, bureau officials were confident it did not have much legal muster.

Alloway said sportsmen in his district, which includes portions of York, Adams and Franklin counties, are overwhelmingly opposed to Sunday hunting.

"If it changes, I would consider voting for it," Alloway said. "My job is to vote for what the people want."

Mark Walters covers Adams County for The Evening Sun. Contact him at 717-637-3736 ext. 147.